Method and system of indelibly marking cellulose, paper, textiles and other woven and non-woven fiber materials

Abstract

The present invention provides a convenient and cost effective method of imprinting both text and images on certain filter materials such as those used in automatic coffee makers or as envelopes for the steeping of tea. The imprint must therefore be indelible, water resistant, non-toxic, temperature-resistant within the parameters of the application and the image reproduction must be crisp and permanent. Although the above-mentioned application is specific, it must be understood that the technology described herein includes, but is not limited to, the imprinting of filter paper and may be applied wherever indelible marking of certain appropriate substrates may be desired. The following describes both a method and system for indelibly marking a fabric, paper or any other fibrous material without the use of a pigmented liquid or thin-film transfer.

1 . A coffee filter or tea bag having an acidic or other solution capable of degrading cellulose or other natural fiber as to alter the materials flash-point to a temperature less than that of the untreated fiber and applied by conventional printing methods for the purpose of creating a non-toxic, indelible image, pattern or text. 
     
     
         2 . A method of ink-less printing where the image is printed using a solution to degrade the substrate fibers in a predetermined pattern and then heated to expose the latent image by discoloring the treated areas, including but not limited to the marking of substrates that may come in direct contact with a food or food related product. 
     
     
         3 . A coffee filter as described in claim one having a non-toxic, indelible image, text or pattern applied thereto for the purpose of measuring the amount of coffee introduced into the filter. 
     
     
         4 . A method of printing on coffee filters and other substrates that produces a latent image having the image applied by means of conventional printing methods, preferably a rotary rubber stamp or flexigraphic mechanism and then having the imprinted paper heated to the flash point of the treated fibers to produce the final image. 
     
     
         5 . A method of printing where certain areas of a substrate are wetted in a pattern, image or text with a solution intended to degrade the fibers thereunder in order to alter the flash-point of the material. 
     
     
         6 . A method of printing where the degraded fibers are subjected to temperatures less than the flash-point of the untreated material but greater than the flash-point of the treated fibers as described in  claim 4  to reveal the latent image. 
     
     
         7 . A coffee filter or tea bag as described in  claim 1 , where the image is produced by passing the filter in proximity to a heat source capable of scorching the areas treated with the weak acid solution.